LONDON: A 12-month transformation, the table flipped on its head. Then: three games, no goals and bottom. Now: three games, goals flowing and top.
True, the fixture list has been much kinder than this time last year. But it is the nature, the style of this Arsenal side that has heads turning. A confidence, a pizazz absent for years.
The visitors’ new captain, Martin Ødegaard, set them on their way with a brace inside a dozen minutes, William Saliba adding second-half gloss. Bournemouth were simply dismantled, a south-coast battering that they did not have the defenses to withstand.
Away euphoria came within minutes, Ødegaard was the scorer but it was all about Gabriel Jesus. Among three changes made by Bournemouth was an appearance by Marcos Senesi, a summer acquisition from Feyenoord. His first act, on his full debut, was to be powered off the ball by Jesus, who took a perfect touch and jinked past Jefferson Lerma.
A clever reverse pass put Gabriel Martinelli in down the left and, while Mark Travers made a smart save with his legs, Ødegaard had a tap-in. Jesus though, was the mobbed man. Senesi was replaced at the break; welcome to the Premier League
“Trust the process,” Mikel Arteta had said. He kept saying it. First, they laughed, then they got angry. Not anymore. No one is suggesting Arsenal will win the title. They will not win the title. There will be blips, embarrassing moments. But implosions appear unlikely. And the bond between players and supporters is strong, furthered perhaps by allowing camera access to football’s intimate areas last season. Yes, trust the process.
Arsenal’s league position at this stage, though, is irrelevant to Arteta. “It’s very difficult to come here and win 3-0,” he said. “I’m really pleased, but at the same time we have to look at ourselves; there are many areas where we can still get much better.”
This ground hosted Arteta’s first match as Arsenal manager back in December 2019. He has since slowly sucked the gold-plated poison out of the club, meaning just Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka remain as starters.
And this new cohesion meant that, for the first time since the Invincible of 2003-04, Arsenal fielded the same XI for their opening three league games.
Their followers were buoyant even before kick-off. A coastal trip in the sunshine. What could go wrong? Well, they have been stung before. Yet they need not have worried; Bournemouth were, from the moment Rockin’ All over the World blared out, compliant hosts.
